Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;zanmusundown&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmusundown’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with yellow ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date October 6-10; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar denomination ‘Zanmusundown’. ‘Zanmusundown’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a double type inflorescence, a natural season flower date starting at October 6-10; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. ‘Zanmusundown’ is a seedling resulting from the crossing of the female parent id 2824 and male parent id 4678. Plants of ‘Zanmusundance’ differ from plants of the parents in ray-floret color; that of the seedling is yellow, while that of the female parent is white, and of the male parent pink.

The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant by Wilhelmus Bernardus Blom on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in 2004. The first act of asexual production of ‘Zanmusundown’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were used from the initial selection in 2004 and propagated further in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 22 in 2008. The natural blooming date of this crop was October 6-10. The average height of the plants was 25 cm. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with yellow ray florets blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Zanmusundown’ is ‘Zanmusundance’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/314,958). When ‘Zanmusundance’ and ‘Zanmusundown’ are being compared the following differences are noticed: The difference of ‘Zanmusundance’ and ‘Zanmusundown’ (1) Plant size. And (2) Flower color (1) The plants of ‘Zanmusundance’ are larger than those of ‘Zanmusundown’ (2) The flowers of Zanmusundance’ are more soft yellow than those of ‘Zanmusundown’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Zanmusundown’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart, edition 2001.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat. ‘Zanmusundown’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.5 cm, height 0.4 cm Shape Oblate Texture Pubescent Outside Color Greyed-green 191A Phyllaries Number 50, arranged in 3 rows Shape Elliptic Apex Acute Base Truncate Margin Entire Color Upper side: Greyed-green 191 A Lower side Greyed-green 191 C Length and width 4 mm; 1 mm Texture Pubescent Inflorescence Type Double Height 1.7 cm Diameter 4.5 cm Peduncle length   5 cm Peduncle color Green 139B Peduncle diameter 1 mm Peduncle surface Pubescent Numbers per branch Approx. 8 inflorescences Flowering period individual Ca.4 weeks inflorescence Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate, Greyed-brown 199A, length 1.5 mm diameter 0.8 mm Fragrance Faint chrysanthemum odor Color Center of inflorescences Immature stage: Yellow-orange 15A (ray-florets) Mature stage: Yellow-orange 15A Color of upper surface of the Yellow 12A ray-florets Color of the lower surface Yellow 3B of the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with yellow flowers Color of the ray-florets after Yellow 1 2C aging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and lower side smooth Number 150 Shape Elliptic Apex Rounded Base Attenuate Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of Straight majority Length of corolla tube 5 mm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 1.7 cm-2 cm Ray-floret width 6 mm Ratio length / width Medium Disc florets Disc diameter 1-2 mm Distribution of disc florets Scarce, only visible in mature bloom Shape Tubular Color Yellow 11D at apex, Yellow-green at 150D at base Number Ca. 4-5 Length 0.5 mm Diameter 0.3 mm Receptacle Shape Conical raised Height 3 mm Diameter 4 mm Color Green 138C Reproductive Organs Androecium Present in disc florets only Stamen length 3 mm Stamen color Yellow-green 144A Anther color Yellow 3A Pollen Small amount produced Pollen Yellow 12 A Gynoecium Present in both ray and disc florets Style color Yellow-green 154C StyleLength 3 mm Stigma color Yellow 3A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovary Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a potmum, outdoor raised and mounded Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate Low Height 25 cm Width 40 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown 199A Stem Strength Weak Stem Brittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Not observed Internode length 1-2 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 19 cm Lateral branch color Green 137C Lateral branch diameter 2-3 mm Lateral branch brittleness Brittle Branching (average number Prolific with 10 breaks after pinching of lateral branches) Natural season blooming date October 6-10 to November 10-14 Foliage Leaf color Upper side: Green 139B Lower side: Green N138B to N138C Color midvein Upper side: Yellow-green 147D Lower side: Yellow-green 148D Size Small.; length 1.5-6 cm, width 2- 3.5 cm Quantity (number per lateral 16-18 branch) Shape Elliptic Texture upper side Sparsely pubescent Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Entire to serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Rounded Between Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Diverging Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Attenuate Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.5-1.5 cm Petiole diameter 2-3 mm Petiole color Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety ‘Zanmusundown’ ‘Zanmusundance’ Plant height 25 cm 30 cm Plant width 40 cm 45 cm Color flower disc Yellow-orange 15A Yellow 13A Color upper side ray-florets Yellow 12A Yellow 9A 

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 